Rose plant--meitoflapo variety

ABSTRACT

A new rose plant of the Floribunda Class is provided having attractive double flowers which are china pink on the inside and neyron pink on the outside. Such flowers are formed in abundance and when cut are long lasting. The plant is particularly susceptible to forcing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a new variety of roseplant of the Floribunda Class which is distinguished from priorvarieties by the following characteristics:

(1) from the physical point of view, the rose plant with bronze greenmature wood has a semi-erect growth habit, double flowers which arechina pink on the inside and neyron pink on the outside, and consistentpetals which bear a whitish unguis on both surfaces, and

(2) from the biological point of view, the rose plant has vigorousvegetation, produces flowers in abundance, exhibits an ability readilyto be forced, is not particularly susceptible to diseases, and formslong lasting flowers comprising petals which detach cleanly.

In view of these characteristics the new variety meets the needs of thehorticultural industry for all uses, and particularly is suited for theproduction of long lasting cut flowers.

The new variety was created by artificial pollination whereby twoparents which previously had been studied for the possession of thecharacteristics sought in the new variety were produced and combined.

The seed parent of the new variety resulted from the crossing of theJack Frost variety (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,447) with an unnamed varietyformed by the crossing of the Meialfi variety with an unnamed varietyformed by the crossing of the Meger variety and the Meban variety.

The pollen parent of the new variety resulted from the crossing of theMeialfi variety with an unnamed variety formed by the crossing of theMeger variety and the Meban variety with the product being crossed byanother unnamed variety.

The parentage of the new variety may be expressed as follows:

[Jack Frost × [Meialfi × (Meger × Meban)]] × [[Meialfi × (Meger ×Meban)] × Unnamed Variety]

The seeds resulting from the above pollination were sown and 141plantlets were obtained which were physically and biologically differentfrom each other. Selective study resulted in the identification of asingle plant of the new variety. Extensive testing has confirmed thebehavior and characteristics of the new variety which is particularlysuited for the abundant production of long lasting cut flowers having adistinctive coloration.

The characteristics and properties of the new variety have been found tobe transmissible by agamic means, also called "asexual", i.e., by meansof vegetative propagation, in particular by grafting an eye. The roseplant of the new variety has been designated the Meitoflapo variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph shows typical specimens of the cut flowersand foliage of the present variety when grown under glass at Antibes,France as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in acolor illustration of this character, illustrated in:

FIG. 1--a specimen of young shoot;

FIG. 2--a specimen of a bud at the opening of the sepals;

FIG. 3--a specimen of a bud at the opening of the petals;

FIG. 4--a specimen of a flower in the course of opening;

FIG. 5--a specimen of an open flower--plan view--obverse;

FIG. 6--a specimen of an open flower--plan view--reverse;

FIG. 7--a specimen of a flower in full bloom--plan view --obverse;

FIG. 8--a specimen of a flower in full bloom--plan view--reverse;

FIG. 9--a specimen of fruit;

FIG. 10--a specimen of a receptacle showing the arrangement of thestamens;

FIG. 11--a specimen of a receptacle showing the arrangement of thepistils (sepals and stamens removed);

FIG. 12--a specimen of a flowering stem;

FIG. 13--a specimen of a main branch;

FIG. 14--a specimen of leaf with 3 leaflets, upper surface;

FIG. 15--a specimen of leaf with 5 leaflets, upper surface;

FIG. 16--a specimen of leaf with 7 leaflets, upper surface; and

FIG. 17--a specimen of leaf with 9 leaflets, under surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The plant described was grown under glass at Antibes, France.

The chart utilized in the identification of the colors is that of theRoyal Horticultural Society (R.H.S. Colour Chart). The terminologypreceding the numbered references to this chart has been added todesignate in common terms the corresponding colors.

Class: Floribunda.

Plant:

Height.--On the basis of the cutting back of the plants in greenhousesto approximately 0.85 m., the length of the cut flower bearing stemsreaches approximately 40 to 45 cm.

Bearing.--Semi-erect.

Branches:

Color.--Young stems: bronze green 146/A (yellow green group) with veryslightly shaded reddish coloration. Mature wood: bronze green 146/A(yellow green group).

Prickles.--Shape -- upper edge: slightly convex. Under edge: concave.Size: small. Quantity: moderately numerous. Color on young stems:initially reddish, then they become greenish. Color on mature wood:havana brown.

Leaves:

Stipules.--Adnate, pectinate, fairly narrow and linear.

Petioles.--Inner surface: grooved, reddish brown (young foliage) andgreen (adult foliage) with more or less glandular edges. Outer surface:light green with a few small hooked prickles.

Folioles.--Number: 3 or 5 or 7, and occasionally 9. Shape: oval basewith lanceolate top. Teeth: simple and regular. Texture: leathery.General effect: small foliage, dense and semi-dull.

Color.--Young foliage: upper surface: dark green 147/A (yellow greengroup). Under surface: medium green 147/B (yellow green group). Adultfoliage: upper surface: bronze green 146/A (yellow green group). Undersurface: light green 147/C (yellow green group).

Inflorescence:

Number of flowers.--Generally one flower per stem when grown in forcedculture under glass, however in such forced culture the first axillaryeye below the flower sometimes develops. When grown outside in thelandscape multiple flowers per stem are produced.

Penduncle.--Erect, rigid, light green, very slightly glandular. Thelength is approximately 5 cm. on the average.

Sepals.--Upper surface: tomentous, greenish. Under surface: light green,very slightly glandular. The outer sepals have their edges slightlyglandular and have a few appendages.

Bud.--Shape: before the opening of the sepals it is conical. Length:approximately 3 cm. on average outside the calyx at the opening of thesepals. Size: medium. Color when opening: upper surface: carmine pink52/C (red group). Under surface: neyron pink 55/A (red group).

Flower.--Shape: initially with parallel sides and subsequently in theform of a hollow cup, double flower. Diameter: approximately 8 to 10 cm.on the average. Color: when first opening: inside: china pink 58/D (redpurple group). During the course of opening fully: inside: china pink58/D (red purple group). Outside: neyron pink 55/D (red group).Fragrance: none. Lasting quality: very long when cut. Corolla: petals:texture: firm. Shape: rounded shape becoming more ovoid towards thecenter. The top commonly possesses a small point. The unguis is whitishon both surfaces. Number: approximately 25 on the average. Sheddingpetals: the petals drop off cleanly. Stamens: number: approximately 136on the average. Anthers: ocher colored. Filaments: whitish andirregular. Pistils: number: 60 on average. Stigmas: yellow. Styles:twisted, whitish and fuschine at top. Receptacle: light green atdehiscence of the anthers, and in longitudinal section it is narrow andin the shape of a jug.

Development:

Vegetation.--Vigorous.

Flowering.--Very high.

Aptitude for forcing.--Excellent.

Resistance to diseases.--Good.

It should be emphasized that the plants of the new variety describedherein were grown under glass to produce cut flowers, and that when suchnew variety is grown out-of-doors it commonly exhibits typicalFloribunda characteristics such as multiple buds per stem.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Floribunda rose plant ofvegetative reproduction substantially as illustrated and describedcharacterized by the fact thatfrom the physical point of view, the roseplant with bronze green mature wood has a semi-erect growth habit,double flowers which are china pink on the inside and neyron pink on theoutside, and consistent petals which bear a whitish unguis on bothsurfaces; and from the biological point of view, the rose plant hasvigorous vegetation, produces flowers in abundance, exhibits an abilityreadily to be forced, is not particularly susceptible to diseases, andforms long lasting flowers comprising petals which detach cleanly.